The North Providence Summer Basketball League
Meet Me At The Court tells the untold story of the North Providence Summer Basketball League, which, during its thirty year run, grew from pick-up games among neighborhood friends in the early 1960’s to one of the best places in the country to watch outdoor summer league basketball.
This documentary recalls how teenage friends petitioned the local government for lights to accommodate night games, solicited sponsors and then outfitted and scheduled team play, independent of adult or parents’ efforts. As a result, the Swenson/Ruggerio Court at the humble and nondescript Evans Field became the place where future politicians, civic leaders, local legends and more than twenty future NBA players, coaches and eventual draft lottery picks showed what they had. As told through the memories of those friends, it becomes a story not just of basketball but of race and class, small town politics, and the capturing of a hidden history before it’s lost to time.
Produced and directed by: Evan Villari, Documentarian and Director of Johnson & Wales University Center for Media Production
Written by John Taraborelli, writer and Director of Communication and Public Relations for Rhode Island College.
In association with the Rhode Island Historical Society and with the support of the Rhode Island Council on the Humanities.
The Roots Caravan
From xx to xx PICA called 276 Westminster Street its home: The Roots Cafe. At Roots, we fostered a global exchange of art and ideas as hub for community gatherings and as a home away from home for musicians, storytellers and performers from all over the world.
As the world changes, so shall we- Our physical space is no more, but PICA is always working to host artists bringing their caravan through town. If you’re coming to Providence and you would like to partner with us, reach out. We will help to find you a space and introduce you to the Providence community, a place we are proud to call home.